A Long Walk to Water

My heart is broken and my face is smudged with tears as I attempt to record my response to this utterly heart-wrenching young adult novel, A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park.  This story is based on the true story of a Sudanese refugee by the name of Salva Dut.  He was born in Sudan and during the 1985 civil war, was forced to walk away from his village only to wander virtually alone, although surrounded by many strangers for years through deserts, eventually crossing two rivers, enduring sleepless nights full of fear from man-eating lions and crocodiles.  He walked to Ethiopia and then on to Kenya, separated from his family.  An eleven-year-old boy on his own.  But sadly, not the only one.  He led thousands of "Lost Boys", as they have been called across the desert to safety.  His story is told in such a manner that you feel as if you are walking alongside him.  I cried for him and those who are still fighting the battle for clean water and a home to live with their family.  There are simply too many to place in new homes. 

Why, oh why are we sheltered here in America to the realities of the world?  We have been exposed just enough to the atrocities of war and famine to be apathetic to their cause.  I had NO IDEA what really was happening in Sudan during the late 80s and early 90s.  And I just recently became aware of what is truly going on in Darfur (a region of Sudan).  Kids, if you don't know what genocide means, please look it up.  Now, I know so much more, told through the beautiful writings of Linda Sue Park in honor of her friend who lives the story.

Parents, read this story with your children.  Talk with them about what is really happening in the world today.  Use this book as a tool to remind yourself and your children that God has blessed them over and over with an abundance of food, clothing, shelter and most importantly...love.

I love how Park wrote this book...telling two stories at once.  The 1985 story of Salva and the 2008 story of Nya.  Beautiful. But to think that little girls walk half the day to gather muddy water from a pond to provide for their families, only to repeat the process day after day after day and we in America have to remind our children to not let the faucet run.  Waste.  So much waste.

This book will make you want to take action.  As you'll see, action is taken at the end of the book and continues to this day.
Don't watch the video or visit the website until after you've read the book.  www.waterforsudan.org
Water for Sudan from Salva Dut on Video.
Now for some quiet contemplation.  You just can't finish a book like this and go straight to another.
Happy Reading.
RC